William b



(No Model.)

' W.`B. BRADSBY.

' THILL GOUPLING.

l UI'xIITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`wILLIAM B. BRADsBr, on GREENVILLE, ILLINoIs, AssIeNoE vor ONE-HALE ToCHARLES STEWART, on SAME PLAGE.

THILL-GQUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 402,502, dated April30, 1889.

l Application led February 28, 1889. Serial No. 301,486. (No model.)

" "hom it may concermp "wn that I, WILLIAM B. BEAnsBY, a citizen'offtheUnited States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and Stateof Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in'Phill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thillcouplings; and it consistsin certain novel features, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 lis a perspective view of athill-coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, showingthe nut or sliding collar in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section of the coupling.` Fig. 4 is a view showing amodified form of locking-spring. I

My improved thill-coupling is applied to the front axle, A, and issecured thereto by the clip B in the usual manner, as shown. The body Cof the coupling is formed by extending the clip-plate mounted on theends of the clip B forward beyond the axle and bifurcating the front endof the said extended portion, as shown at D. The bodyC is furtherprovided in its sides with longitudinal' recesses E, in which I pivotthe coupling arms or latches F. The said coupling-arms are pivoted at ornear their rear ends, and their outer surfacesv are inclined outward andforward, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, and they are provided at theirfront ends with the inwardly-projecting pivot-pins G, which are adaptedto engage the eye of the Chill-iron H, as will be readily understood. ,f

The forward portion ofthe clip-plate is exteriorly threaded, as shown atI, and on this threaded por-tion I mount a sliding nut or collar, J,which is adapted to bear upon the outer inclined surfaces of thecoupling-arms and is provided in its outer edge with a series oflongitudinal notches, K, as shown. By moving this collar in or out thecoupling-arms will be caused to move toward or away from each other attheir front ends, as will be readily understood, and in order that thesaid nut or collar may notbe moved too far baclward,`and also to providefor disengaging the couplingarms from the thill-irons, the rear ends ofthe said coupling-arms are provided with the outvwardly'-projectingpoints or shoulders L,

against which the nut will contact when moved inward, so as to throw thefront ends of the said arms apart. The collar or nut is held vagainstundue rotation by means of a spring, M, which has one end secured inthefront end of the body and extends rearwardly lsubstantially parallelwith the side of the body and has its rear end engaging a perfora- 6otion in the rear end of one of the couplingarms, its intermediateportion engaging one of the notches of the said collar or nut. The bodyC is provided in its upper and lower sides with the longitudinalrecesses P, in which I place the ends of the anti-rattling spring Q, thecentral portion of whichy passes vertically across the end of the body C.and bears upon the end of the thill-iron, so as to press it toward thepivot-pins G at the ends of 7o the coupling-arms and thereby prevent itsmoving thereon, as will be readily understood.

In practice the lockingspring M is disengaged from the nut or collar J,and the said 7 5V nut or collar is then moved inward, so as to throw thefront or outer ends of the couplingarms apart. The thill-iron is theninserted between the branches of the bifurcation in the body C, and thenut or collar then moved for- 8o ward so as to press the front ends ofthe coupling-arms together and force the pivot-pins G of said arms intoengagement with the eye of the thill-iron. The locking-spring is thenengaged in one of the notches of the collar and the coupling will becompleted.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided avery simple and efficient thill-coupling in which all the parts arecompactly arranged and bymeans of which 9o the thills will be securelyattached to the axle and will be prevented from rattling.

The locking-spring can be easily disengaged when it is desired torelease the thills, as it is necessary only to turn the nut or collarslightly forward to release the rear end of the spring, when itsresilience will at once disengage it from the collar or nut. After. thenut has been adjusted to the proper point the spring is again secured inplace and the nut Ioo will be held against movement.

The anti-rattling spring in my device can be given more or less tensionand thereby caused toexert a greater or less pressure on the thill byturning the nut outward or inward, as will be readily understood. Whenthe nut is turned outward, the ends of the spring will be pressedtogether, so that its central portion will be pressed outward to bearagainst the thill.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a locking-spring which is secured at one end, a,on the upper side of the body and extends laterally beyond the side ofthe bodyand is coiled, as at b, and thence extends forward parallel withthe side of the body and engages one of the notches in the nut. Thefront end of the spring is bent inward and passed around a stud, O, onthe upper side of one of the coupling-arms. It is obvious that the useof this spring involves no departure from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, whatl claim, and desire to secure byLetters'Patent, 1s-

1. A thill-conpling comprising the body, the coupling-arms pivotedthereto'and having inwardly-projecting pivot-pins at their front endsadapted to engage the eye of the thilliron,and the sliding collar actingon Ifhevsaid arms to force them into engagement With the eye of thethill-iron, as set forth.

2. The combination of the body, the coupling-arms pivoted thereto andadapted to engage the eye of the thill iron, the collar mounted on thebody and acting'on the coupling-arms to force them into engagement withthe eye of the thill-iron, and the locking-spring secured on the bodyand engaging the said collar, as set forth.

3. The combination of the body, the couplingearms pivoted thereto andhaving inclined outer surfaces and provided at their front ends withinwardlyprojecting pivot -pins adapted to engage the eye of thethill-irons, the collar mounted on the body and acting on the inclinedsurfaces of the coupling-arms andvprovided in its outer side with aseries of longitudinal notches, `and a locking-spring secured to thebody and engaging one of the notches of the collar, as set forth.,

4. The combination of the body, the coupling-arms pivoted thereto, theanti-rattling spring tted on the'body and passing vertically'yacro'ssthevend of the same, the collar mounted on the body and acting on thecoupling-arms, and the lockingfspring secured on the body and engagingthe collar, as set forth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own lfha've hereto aiiixedmy `signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM B. BRADSIBY.

Witnesses:

JoHN lHUBBARD, JosEPH T. FOUKE.

